Battles
by Doom Squirrel
Summary: Battles come in many forms. Battles of emotions are often more painful, and more difficult to win than battles of mind or body. But they're up to the challenge.
1. Default Chapter

Before you start reading, be warned, this is a slash story. That means shonen-ai, yaoi, gay pairings, and/or whatever else you like to call it. It you don't like it, you have been forewarned. At this point, I claim the right to laugh at any flames on that subject. Others may be listened to, but I tend to prefer calm criticism without caps lock or swearing.

I do not own Prétear. If I did, why would I write fanfics?

Thoughts are in italics, along with flashbacks and stressed words.

Kei

The Great Tree of Fenrir was a formidable opponent, to say the very least. In fact, that was an understatement. It was all the Knights of Light and Fire could do to keep the demon larvae away from the Awayuki family, who trying desperately to free Mawata.

Kei sneaked a glance at Goh as he attacked another of the monsters. There seemed to be an endless supply of them.

—"_Kei," Goh had said just moments before, "If we don't live through this battle, I want you to know I love you."—_

Had he meant it? Kei barely dodged an attack from a demon larva and pushed all thoughts but the battle out of his mind. It would do no good to get himself killed.

It seemed a blur. The world flickered before his eyes as the way he'd been trained to fight took over. His instincts seemed to be pulling him through with barely a conscious thought.

Goh

Mawata was free. Goh hurriedly moved to cover their retreat. It went surprisingly smoothly until they reached the bridge. He couldn't quite hear, but Mayune seemed to suffer from a panic attack.

What the hell were they doing, taking so long? He and Kei could only hold off the tree for so long.

Kaoru set Mawata down, and they began to run again. He couldn't help but smile as Kaoru stopped to bow before continuing to run. Whatever else there was about that man, he was polite.

"They finally ran off," he said.

He paid for his moment of distraction as the tree knocked him out of the air. He heard Kei shout, and saw him as he was knocked into a streetlight, before the world went black.

Kei

Kei could hear the call from Himeno, not by his ears, but from the very center of his soul, tugging at him, pulling him back to consciousness.

He held out his hand, offering his energy to Himeno. He may have said her name, he couldn't be sure. What little Leafe he had, he offered to her.

"Thanks, everyone," Himeno's voice sounded clear in his mind, as though she was right next to him.

It could have been two minutes or two hours later, Kei didn't know (or care) which. He could feel his energy returning, Leafe falling gently upon him. He opened his eyes.

Leafe snow? It didn't seem possible, but here it was, falling before him.

Kei's eyes widened. It must mean that Himeno had won! But where—

Goh was sitting up. They shared a glance, and raced towards the Awayuki mansion.

Goh

Himeno was dead. No! It couldn't be! She couldn't be gone. That happy smile wouldn't light up her face; her chipper attitude wouldn't be a light for them anymore.

The kids were approaching. He tried to head them off, give them some warning, but it was too late. They had seen her.

Shin burst out crying. He buried his face against Goh, sobbing for Himeno. Hajime did the same. Mannen did not turn away, but looked at Himeno, trying not to cry as sobs shook his body.

Goh placed a hand on their heads, wishing he could be more of a comfort. He didn't know how to be. He had spent all his life being told not to cry, and telling others not to cry, but he didn't know how to say it was okay to cry. He just didn't know.

"There'll probably never be," Kei said, with more emotion in his voice than Goh thought he had ever heard before, "Another Prétear of her caliber again."

Goh was going to say something, but he stopped when he saw Hayate.

The Knight of Wind was leaning over Himeno, confessing his feelings, calling himself a coward.

And then he kissed her. Goh wasn't sure what Hayate thought it was going to achieve, but he still did.

Then she moved.

Kei

Kei had never seen the mood of a place change so quickly. Himeno was being hugged from all sides, by the children, her family, Hayate.

Sasame and Takako looked on.

Kei looked at Goh. Goh looked away from him. Kei sighed. When this party was over, he needed to have a talk with the Knight of Fire.

End part 1 of Battles

Yes, this will be shonen-ai. This chapter is just sort of setting the stage in and around the battle. There will be actual romance in chapter two!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, as promised, there will be romance in this chapter.

I only own myself and the horse plushy. And sometimes I'm not so sure about myself.

Kei

Kei found it odd, walking through Awayuki town. Most of the buildings were damaged, some were completely destroyed. It should have been a depressing scene, but instead, everyone was too glad to be alive to be sad.

People were rebuilding their homes, replanting their gardens and replacing their windows. He could hear little snippets of conversation as he passed.

"They say it was mass hallucination."

"Mass hallucination can't do _that_ to a vegetable garden!"

"Three kids, telling everybody the safe way out—"

"They were flying! If I hadn't been running for my life, it would've been _so_ cool!"

"We were lucky. Our house was more damaged when we had the break-in last year."

By far the most common subject, however, was the cost of repairs.

Kei stopped listening. He was looking for Goh, not hearing how everyone's financial situation was down the drain.

He quickened his pace, and nearly tripped over a little girl, probably about Hajime's age.

"Oh, gomen," he said quickly, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" she called, "Have you seen my cat?"

"What does your cat look like?"

"She's small, black with white paws and a white nose. She's got a bell on her collar."

"I'm afraid I haven't seen any cats matching that description."

"Oh, okay," she replied dejectedly, "She bolted east when that tree thing showed up two days ago, and I haven't seen her since."

_Smart cat,_ he thought.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."

"S'okay! I'll find her eventually!"

The little girl raced over to the next person on the sidewalk, "Sir! Excuse me, but, have you seen my cat? She's black with white paws and a white nose."

"Sorry, I haven't seen any cats."

Kei started. He recognized that voice!

"Goh!" he called.

The Knight of fire turned. He saw Kei and looked like he was going to run.

Kei's hand shot out to grab his wrist, "Goh, I need to talk to you."

Goh

The Awayuki home was being rebuilt. Well, most of it, anyways. The farther parts of the house had not really been damaged, and Himeno had been delighted to find that the flowers she had planted with her mom, through ruffled, were still okay. Goh was glad to see it was recovering, though it would be a while before things were back to normal.

"Goh, you've been avoiding me," Kei said, his voice its usual monotone.

"Uh..." Goh wanted to argue, but it was true. He had been avoiding Kei.

"Doushite?" Kei asked, "Why have you been avoiding me? You know you can tell me anything."

"Kei..."

"You said that you loved me, but you—"

Goh flinched, wanting to run. Why had he told Kei? He had been sure that he would die, and that it wouldn't matter if Kei didn't feel the same. But they had lived.

As if reading his thoughts, Kei grabbed his sleeve.

"Goh! Don't you dare run away again!"

"Kei, I..."

"Let me finish!" Kei cried in a tone somewhere between frustration and anger, "You kept running away before I could say that I love you too."

It took a moment for what Kei had said to register in Goh's mind.

"What?"

"I love you too, Goh," Kei's face was inches away from his.

There was no need for Goh to say anything. He leaned forward and kissed Kei. It felt better than anything he'd ever imagined.

He pulled away a few moments later, looking at Kei. The Knight of Light took his breath away. Kei was so beautiful. There was no other word for it, the way his hair framed his face, the slight flush on his dark cheeks, and his golden eyes, now loving, instead of bored.

Kei pulled him into another kiss.

"You guys are so cute!" someone said.

They pulled away from each other and turned to see Himeno standing with Yayoi, Mannen, Hajime and Shin. Mannen was holding a video camera.

"I've got blackmail material forever!" he cried triumphantly, waving the video camera.

Kei was turning about seven shades of red, and Goh could tell that he was, too, judging by how hot his face felt.

"Why, you—" Goh couldn't seem to find words to express his embarrassment.

Mannen, probably wisely, chose that moment to make his exit. Hajime and Shin followed, Hajime grinning from ear to ear, Shin looking confused.

"I'll have to remember some of the things you said for my next novel!" Yayoi seemed overly happy about this.

"Uh..."

"Bye!" Himeno called to them as she dragged off Yayoi.

They looked at each other, "Eh... ehe..."

"Do you get the feeling someone up there's laughing at our expense?" Goh asked when he finally found his voice.

"Yes, actually," Kei replied, "I do."

"Well, now that we're alone again..." Goh let the sentence trail off as he kissed Kei once more.

"Ai shiteru, Goh."

"Ai shiteru, Kei."

They kissed again.

End part 2 of Battles

Okay, that's it for now. I may do more. It depends on whether or not I can figure out enough plot for more.

Translation: whether or not I can beat my muse into submission long enough to get more plot.


End file.
